In recent decades, the traditionally male-dominated construction industry has experienced a notable transformation with the increasing presence of women. This shift is not only enriching the sector’s diversity, but also playing a pivotal role in driving the growth and advancement of companies within it.

Women Shaping the Future

CFMA’s DEI+ Committee wanted to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of women in the industry to commemorate Women in Construction Week, which was observed March 3-9, 2024. This article showcases experiences, insights, and advice from women throughout the construction industry and explores their journeys into the field, how they have navigated challenges, and their advice to others for fostering continuous improvement within the industry.

With careers spanning nine to 32 years, you’ll hear from:

• Katy Adamas, Operations Analytics Manager, Capitol Aggregates
• Diana Bujnovsky, CCIFP, National Controller, Paul Johnson Drywall
• Mary Davolt, CPA, CCIFP, Business Advisor, Berger Contractors, Inc.
• Brittany Diederich, MBA, Director of Construction Advisory Services, Eide Bailly, LLP
• Leslie Garcia, CPA, CCIFP, Partner, RSM US LLP
• Vivian Garza-Steele, CPA, CGMA, Vice President and Controller, Zachry Corporation
• Courtney Hartnett, MBA, CCIFP, Corporate Controller, D2K Traffic Safety, Inc.
• Courtney Vitale, CPA, Tax Managing Director, CBIZ MHM, LLC

The following conversations reveal a variety of motivations for working in construction, from a love for mathematics to upholding family legacies. These women share their career challenges and discuss the resilience needed to overcome hurdles in personal development, gender biases, and professional validation.

What inspired you to pursue a career in construction, and how did your journey begin?

Katy: From the time I was a child, I have loved math, science, and problem-solving. I wanted to be an engineer since I was in middle school. As an extrovert, I thoroughly enjoy working with people and knew I didn’t want to be behind a desk alone all day. The construction industry allowed for a balance of engineering and problem-solving coupled with teamwork and collaboration.

Brittany: My family’s heavy highway construction company was founded in 1953. My grandparents were the first to encourage me to join their company and my dad amplified the encouragement. Once I graduated high school, I joined the company in the field as a rotomill grounds person.

Mary: In public accounting, I really enjoyed the complexities of construction accounting as well as the challenges and opportunities to make an impact on the bottom line.

Courtney H.: I grew up around construction. My father and both grandfathers were in the trades, and several other family members — both male and female — worked in the industry.

My journey began in high school when I worked part-time for my aunt’s road construction subcontractor company. I pursued a business and accounting degree but landed back in the industry once I finished school.

Vivian: My journey in construction began while attending college. I needed a part-time job, and the opportunity arose to be an accounting intern/apprentice. My job as an intern was assisting the financial reporting department with the financial performance of construction projects. I worked through the calculations each month and provided the results to management. My internship helped me learn and apply the principles I learned in school.

After completing my degree, I sat for the CPA exam — and one of the problems on the CPA exam was revenue recognition for long-term contracts. I aced that part of the exam and continued pursuing a full-time construction position.

Can you share some key challenges you faced early in your career and how you overcame them?

Diana: Early in my career, my biggest challenge was getting out of my own way! I took too many things personally, spent too much time trying to prove I was right, and did not know how to communicate well. Time helped smooth out the gaps between knowledge, expertise, emotions, and confidence. I had to learn that occasional failures are not the end of the story as long as we get back up and move forward.

Brittany: Logistically, when I was on the rotomill crew, accessing bathrooms was a problem. I would have to borrow the company pick-up and drive to town to use the bathroom because the jobsite had no restrooms. The men had workarounds to not having access to bathrooms that I did not. I enjoyed getting a few minutes in the air conditioning, though!

Leslie: It was sometimes difficult to be taken seriously as a female professional in the male-dominated construction industry. I often felt I was not worthy just because of being a woman. I had to learn how to adapt and prove my worth by learning as much as I could, visiting jobsites, and becoming a Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP). I also took up various hobbies like fishing and skeet shooting to be able to interact with my male counterparts.

Mary: Being young and female was not the norm in construction. You have to stay the course and believe that what you have to say is important to get others to listen. Don’t be afraid to speak up and give examples of why it’s important.

Courtney H.: I was fortunate not to have many challenges early on because I worked for a female-owned construction company. Looking back, there were instances of sexism, but at the time, I was young and didn’t really recognize it as such.

Vivian: Early on, some managers treated me like a rookie, constantly testing my knowledge and abilities. I had to prove my abilities each time there was a new manager. New management often asked me why certain tasks were performed in a certain manner — this would be a test to see if I knew why I was doing the work I was asked to do. I also would be given a task without clear instructions.

I overcame these challenges by working hard, taking detailed notes, asking clarifying questions, and meeting deadlines. Instead of letting things get to me, I focused on my tasks. Overcoming these hurdles taught me resilience and resourcefulness.

Were there any pivotal moments in your career that significantly shaped your path in the construction industry?

Courtney V.: Early on in my accounting career, I had the opportunity to work with construction clients. I knew I could succeed (privilege noted here) because women were already leading the construction client base; they could both perform the work and teach it to me. These women showed me, taught me, and led me down this path.    

Brittany: Working with my dad was really rewarding; he made sure to demonstrate that I could do anything as long as I had the work ethic and drive. Construction is an industry where you have to show up in order to gain respect, and I learned how to show up from him.

Mary: My original goal was to be a partner at the CPA firm I was working at when I was approached to work directly for a contractor. It was a situation in which I had the chance to help the company make it, or it was going to go under. My mentor said, “Go for it; if it doesn’t work out, you have a place here and can come back.” This gave me the courage I needed to go for it.

How has the landscape for women in construction changed since you started, and what improvements have you 
witnessed?

Mary: I remember going into clients’ offices, and the only women would be the secretaries and receptionists. You’d hear things like, “Honey, get us some coffee.” I remember thinking that women were not treated well and how that could be changed. I always tried to be extra nice and respectful to the women with whom I came in contact.

Courtney H.: Women are definitely more accepted in this industry overall. I have seen women go from holding only administrative and support roles in the office to running projects, swinging hammers, running machines, etc.

We are also more accepted and treated as peers. There are still instances of sexism, but it has become much more acceptable to work alongside a woman and treat her as an equal than it used to be.

Have you experienced gender or age bias in the construction industry, and how did you handle it?

Brittany: Yes, I was working on a jobsite in South Dakota and was the first female coworker for most of the crew. They thought I wouldn’t be able to lift things and designated me to housekeeping work, but I was able to talk with the supervisor and convince him to let me try a more physically intensive job, and this showed that I was able to perform just as well as the men on the jobsite.

Courtney H.: Yes, I worked for an extremely male-dominated company with no women other than myself in leadership. There were many times when I felt that I should have had a seat at the table but didn’t. I just kept pushing and inserting myself wherever and whenever I could. They slowly began to realize that I brought a different and valuable perspective to every situation, and in many cases, it proved beneficial, so they slowly began to change the way they treated me.

Katy: Age-related bias is the biggest obstacle I face, especially with vendors. Knowing my stuff and being able to stand firm on my recommendations has been my biggest success point. When my team knows they can trust me, they will back me up when vendors try to circumvent me.

How do you approach leadership in a way that fosters inclusivity and supports your team’s 
success?

Diana: I recognize each team member as an individual. The way they learn, what motivates them, their mental and physical health, and how they prefer to be rewarded are all unique to the individual.

I have regularly scheduled meetings with each of my 10 direct reports. It’s their time, and we confidentially discuss what is on their minds — sometimes it’s a professional challenge, sometimes it’s personal.

My number one goal with this is for my team to feel that I care for them and that I am their safety net. The organization chart might have me at the top of the accounting team, but my hope is that they feel the inverse — that I am holding them up and giving them what they need so they can give their teams what they need.

What communication techniques have you found to be most successful in a construction work environment?

Courtney V.: Even if you wouldn’t describe yourself as direct, find that voice in you to speak directly, clearly, and with some boldness.

Brittany: Different generations communicate differently, so asking the person with whom you’re working about the way they prefer to communicate (text, email, phone call) for different situations can be a huge help. Communication can come from many different channels, so agreeing on a primary one will help cut through the chatter.

Personally, I prefer face-to-face communication whenever possible. Also, ask clarifying questions when something is unclear, and be sure to push for a straight answer. It’s also helpful to stay organized and keep a cool head when tempers flare; sometimes, things get heated, and the more you can stick to facts instead of feelings, the better off you’ll be.

Courtney H.: I think men and women process things differently, and those differences can cause gaps, especially when communicating in the written word, so I try to have live conversations as much as possible. That doesn’t mean you need to be in the same room with the person, but rather picking up the phone and talking to them live instead of sending a text, message, or email.

How do you balance work 
commitments with personal life, and what tips do you have for maintaining a healthy work-life balance?

Katy: I am very clear about my family time boundaries from the start. I am also aware that because I am not willing to work weekends or more than 50 hours a week, I may not be promoted like some of my peers who are willing to do that, and I’ve made peace with that.

Because I’ve set clear boundaries from the start, no one expects any different, and I can find a balance of work and life that is best for me and my family.

Leslie: Raising two children during my career was not easy. I tried to focus on what I was doing in the moment and not multi-task. For instance, when I was home, I turned off my phone and computer, and when at work, I made sure my children were well cared for.

The result was a daughter who saw how much I loved my career and is starting her own career in accounting this fall. My son started his own construction business building single-family homes. Seeing them each take my experience and create their own in the industry is rewarding.

Courtney H.: In many areas of construction, it is seasonal work, so I try to look at the work-life balance on a more seasonal cycle than I do a daily or weekly one. I have grown accustomed to being really busy in the warmer months and then getting a reprieve in the offseason.

Where I am located, we also have longer days in the summer months, so working 10 hours a day doesn’t mean that I’m going to work and coming home in the dark, which helps and allows me to have life outside of work even during long summer days.

Can you recommend any groups or organizations that are actively supporting women in the construction industry?

Diana: I have met some beautiful, amazing, and brilliant women in CFMA’s Valley of the Sun Chapter who have become my mentors and dear friends. While we do not have a formal mentoring arrangement, I know I can call and discuss any challenge, and they will freely provide great advice about anything from sales tax to navigating the social aspects of our roles.

Katy: Zachry Women Breaking Ground is an internal employee resource group at Zachry Construction. We support women in construction in our company and the industry. Our mission is to recruit, retain, and develop. We recruit to construction and to Zachry; we aim to retain and develop the employees we have; and we do this through networking, professional membership sponsorship, fostering community, and providing leadership and educational opportunities.

Brittany: Although the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and CFMA have fundamental construction courses that are very helpful, your biggest resource will always be your peers. So, finding an association you enjoy engaging with and seeing what organic connections form from that will help you advance your skills quickly.

Leslie: I have nurtured my greatest friendships and relationships through CFMA. Through our local chapter, I have met many men and women who have become lifelong friends and mentors. I wouldn’t have been as successful as I am without CFMA.

Courtney H.: I recommend getting involved with the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and CFMA.